Impatiens walleriana cultivar Balolestop.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Double Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens walleriana, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Balolestopxe2x80x99.
The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Elburn, Ill. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new compact Double Impatiens cultivars with fully double flowers, freely branching growth habit, and attractive flower and foliage coloration.
The new Impatiens originated from a cross made by the Inventor in January, 2000, of a proprietary Impatiens walleriana selection identified as 3180C-1, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with a proprietary Impatiens walleriana selection identified as 3154-1-3, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The cultivar Balolestop was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Elburn, Ill.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken at Elburn, Ill. since February, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Balolestopxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Balolestopxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Compact, upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit.
2. Freely branching growth habit.
3. Dark green-colored leaves.
4. Freely flowering habit.
5. Red purple and white bi-colored flowers that are fully double and positioned above the foliage.
Plants of the new Impatiens differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in flower color.
The new Impatiens can be compared to the Impatiens walleriana cultivar Stardust Lavender, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,986,188. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in West Chicago, Ill., plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar Stardust Lavender in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Impatiens had longer branches with longer internodes than plants of the cultivar Stardust Lavender.
2. Plants of the new Impatiens were more freely flowering than plants of the cultivar Stardust Lavender.
3. Plants of the new Impatiens had fewer petals per flower than plants of the cultivar Stardust Lavender.
4. Flower color of plants of the new Impatiens was red purple and white bi-colored whereas flower color of plants of the cultivar Stardust Lavender was purple and white bi-colored.